Thailand among Asean destinations favoured by Chinese tourists

The six Asean member states on the list are Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Other countries on the list were Japan, South Korea, Maldives and the United States.

According to the report, outbound visits by Chinese residents hit a record high of more than 130 million and they spent US$115.29 billion (Bt3.6 trillion) in 2017, making China the world’s biggest source of outbound travellers.

File photo: Chinese tourists in Thailand

The report found that China’s outbound tourists demand high-quality tourism products, with more of them preferring premium and customised trips, looking for a “more foreign experience”.

Living conditions and services, rather than shopping and sightseeing, were given more weight by Chinese tourists. Outbound travel has now also grown into a gauge measuring the happiness of Chinese.